HealthInfo Canterbury

Overview of anxiety in teens & young adults

Anxiety is a normal human emotion. However, when anxiety takes over, it can get in the way of everyday life. Anxiety is common in young people. One in five people will have signs of an anxiety disorder by the age of 19.

Many changes happen in the teenage years. These can include:

• puberty, relationships and emerging sexuality
• changing schools, changes in friendships and peer pressure
• increasing pressure from school work, exams and thinking about the future
• exposure to alcohol and drugs.
• pressures from social media and internet content.

Anxiety is usually an appropriate response to new or difficult situations, such as starting a new school or school work and exams. For most young people, their anxieties go away or change as they get older and learn that the situations aren't as bad as they feared.

Excessive anxiety is more complicated and tends to cause more problems. Your teen has excessive anxiety if they keep being anxious despite reassurance. Sometimes their behaviour might change, such as avoiding situations to reduce the intensity of their feelings.

Causes of anxiety in teens & young adults

Anxiety is more common in young people who have experienced:

• childhood trauma
• physical or sexual abuse
• poverty or social deprivation
• a parent with anxiety disorder
• mental illness or addiction in a parent or family member.

Anxiety is also seen more often in young people who are Māori or Pasifika, or who are LGBTI.

Other factors that can lead to excessive anxiety in a young person include:

• inconsistent parenting
• prolonged stress
• loss or grief
• serious health issues
• learning difficulties.

Symptoms of anxiety in teens & young adults

A young person with anxiety can have a wide range of symptoms. The symptoms can look like physical health issues, personality changes or challenging behaviour.

Physical symptoms of anxiety can include:

• stomach symptoms such as pain, nausea or diarrhoea
• headaches
• losing weight or loss of appetite
• having poor sleep
• being unable to relax.

A young person with anxiety may also feel:

• unable to be by themselves
• irritable or angry
• distracted, and unable to focus
• tearful
• excessively worried even when there aren't signs of trouble.

There may also be a change in behaviour, including:

• avoiding hard situations including school or social activities
• defiance
• seeking constant reassurance or approval
• repetitive behaviours such as hand washing or checking
• self-harm.

Treatment for anxiety in teens & young adults

Treatment for anxiety in teens and young adults depends on how severe the problem is. Many young people have mild symptoms that don't impact their daily life very much. They just need consistency from their parents and teachers and help to learn the skills to manage their fears and worries.

Other young people have more serious anxiety problems. They may need group courses, family therapy, or one-to-one therapy. For more information, see Getting help for my teen with anxiety.

Occasionally, medications are used to treat anxiety in young people. This is usually done in consultation with a specialist.

On the next page: Helping your teen with anxiety

Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Page created December 2019.

Sources

Page reference: 643668

Review key: HIAXY-53690